NHL Player News

Lehner (hip) was not at training camp Wednesday to undergo a yearly mandatory medical test, per RDS.ca.

To qualify for long-term injured reserve -- which Lehner has been on for each of the last two years -- a player must be checked and proven medically unfit to play. Lehner's absence from the Golden Knights' first day of camp has led to the team potentially pursuing a contract termination, which would get them fully out from under his $5 million cap hit. While this situation will have salary cap implications for the Golden Knights and could also impact the NHLPA's relations with the league, it doesn't change the fact that Lehner has likely played his last NHL game and won't suit up in 2024-25 while in the last year of his contract.

Demko (knee) is expected to discuss his recovery from a knee injury when he talks to the media Thursday, Thomas Drance of The Athletic reports.

Demko is not expected to participate in training camp or preseason games as part of his recovery plan. More details may be available after his media session, but Demko is likely to continue to need to manage his workload even once he's cleared for games.

Grosenick (undisclosed) is listed as injured on the Wild's training camp roster released Wednesday.

Grosenick signed with the Wild on a two-way contract after going 17-8-2 with a 2.56 GAA and a .907 save percentage in 30 games with AHL Milwaukee last year. He'll likely report to AHL Iowa this season to serve as a veteran mentor and tandem partner with Jesper Wallstedt should the prospect goalie not make the NHL roster.

Swayman and the Bruins have yet to come to terms on a new contract, meaning the netminder won't report to training camp, Conor Ryan of The Boston Globe reports Wednesday.

Swayman is poised to take over as the No. 1 backstop in Boston this season after Linus Ullmark was shipped off to Ottawa. Fantasy managers probably don't need to start worrying just yet, but Swayman's absence from the early days of camp could set him up for a slow start to the 2024-25 season. If his negotiations drag on into the regular season, look for Joonas Korpisalo to temporarily take the reigns.

Wallstedt is set to be between the pipes on the road against the Jets on Saturday, Michael Russo of The Athletic reports.

Wallstedt taking the first game of the preseason by no means guarantees he will earn a roster spot coming out of training camp, but it certainly is something worth monitoring. The 21-year-old netminder has just three games of NHL experience, having gone 2-1-0 with a 3.02 GAA and one shutout last season. Veteran Marc-Andre Fleury is slated to serve in the backup role Saturday, giving Filip Gustavsson the night off.

Raanta has concluded his NHL career but will continue playing in Europe, the NHLPA announced Tuesday.

Raanta reportedly isn't interested in a two-way contract or a tryout agreement. He finished with 277 career NHL regular-season appearances, recording a 139-80-29 record, a 2.48 GAA and a .915 save percentage, and he also went 9-9 with a 2.48 GAA and a .911 save percentage over 24 playoff games. Raanta suited up for the Blackhawks, Rangers, Coyotes and Hurricanes during his time in the NHL.

Tarasov (upper body) will be available for the start of training camp, the team announced Tuesday.

Tarasov posted a record of 8-11-3 with a 3.18 GAA and a .908 save percentage in 24 regular-season appearances before missing six straight contests to conclude the 2023-24 campaign due to an upper-body issue. He will compete with Elvis Merzlikins for playing time in the upcoming season.

Wells inked a professional tryout agreement with Utah on Monday.

Wells had a 3.28 GAA and an .898 save percentage in 18 regular-season contests with AHL Tucson on Monday. He isn't expected to make Utah's Opening Night roster, but he might be able to earn a two-way contract with a strong preseason.

Sorokin had surgery to address a back injury this offseason but is not expected to miss any regular-season action, Stefen Rosner of NHL.com reports Monday.

Sorokin may not feature much, if at all, during the preseason as a result of his back surgery but all signs point to him being on the Opening Night roster versus Utah on Oct. 10. Whether or not he gets the starting nod for that game may depend on both his recovery timeline and how well Semyon Varlamov performs in preseason contests. While Sorokin likely has the edge in terms of being the starter to open the year, his hold on the No. 1 job should probably be considered tenuous at best after a rough finish to 2023-24.

Ferguson signed a professional tryout agreement with the Canucks on Sunday.

Ferguson will have an opportunity to win a role in the crease, at least in the short term, while Vancouver netminders Thatcher Demko and Arturs Silovs work their way back to full health. The 25-year-old Ferguson was selected in the seventh round by Dallas in the 2017 NHL Draft. The British Columbia native played for Minsk Dynamo of the KHL in 2023-24 -- he had a 9-9-0 record with a .904 save percentage and a 2.51 GAA in 23 regular-season contests. Ferguson has appeared in just three NHL games between Vegas and Ottawa throughout his career.